Thursday 20 December 2012
The new website - listening devices for the deaf
Christmas results in delays - 'flu, holidays, shopping and other distractions all play their part. The new website will go live in February. It is under preparation. The information will be easier to obtain and will be up to date and relevant. Details will be available for the Elite listening devices. These are the ones which use wireless transmission of sound. They are costlier than the others but are infinitely more adaptable to differing uses and there are no wires to get in a tangle. Information will allow comparison between the different makes so that one will be able to see more clearly what is offered and if it fulfills your particular needs.
Friday 30 November 2012
Beyond the hearing aid
In this age of communication it is ever more important, young and old alike, to keep in touch with what is going on all around.
The available technology is changing all the time.
The new website which will replace this one will attempt to address what is becoming available. There is no plan to provide too much detail which is the responsibility of the manufacturers. I hope to give some guidance on the basic information. This starts with a better understanding of the audiogram. There will be some guidance on this.
Wednesday 21 November 2012
This blog website is shortly to be closed down. All traffic will automatically be directed to the new website which is called www.listeningdevicesforthedeaf.co.uk or .com. These domain names have been reserved already.
I am working with South Devon College IT department who are most helpful. The new website should be up and running soon. All the information will be checked and updated. This has been a big task, but it has been thoroughly worthwhile as some things were out of date. I will keep you posted.
Thursday 8 November 2012
This website has been running for 4 years. There is a need to redesign it and I am currently working to that end. I hope that within a few weeks it will be up and running. The new website will be easy to use with drop down pages and a menu to access the different devices in order to get the information required.
At this stage I would welcome suggestions for improvements.
Monday 25 June 2012
Listening Devices For The Deaf
Beyond the hearing aid help is needed in social gatherings, coffee mornings, meetings, lectures hearing the television and when travelling in the car. Listening devices are there to help in a variety of situations, but which of the listening devices is best ? We are spoilt for choice. There are numerous devices and gadgets on the market. They all have both good points and weaknesses. The weaknesses are not spelt out in the catalogue and at the same time the benefits are, in general, overstated. For this reason this website is designed to assist those who are thinking of buying one. This website is not sponsored in any way. The advice given is impartial. The opinions are mine. I am moderately severely hard of hearing. I have no hearing in my left ear –therefore an aid in that ear is of no use. My right ear needs a lot of help from the aid. I have a NHS (BTE) Siemens aid. I struggle to hear in company and in social situations. Bear this in mind at all times when you read what I have written.
The golden rules of buying a listening device
1) Keep it simple. Don’t buy something which is overcomplicated to use. Be sure you understand the controls and have the dexterity to use them.
2) Identify the situations when hearing loss is a nuisance. Should one single occasion (say watching the television) be the problem then there is no advantage in spending money on a more sophisticated listener when there is a simpler solution for that particular purpose.
3) Know that the makers’ advice about the listeners is exaggerated. In particular the ability to cut down background noise is only a slight help. Some devices having a directional microphone. You should understand that this capability is helpful but is relatively weak.
4) Most important of all is the need not to accept the device until you have tried it out in the different listening situations. If it does not meet your expectations then the device should be returned. I advise the postal wrappings are kept so that it can easily be repacked and posted.
A word of caution
One is trying to achieve improving the clarity of speech in differing situations. It is clarity rather than sound volume that is the limiting factor. Often there is background noise – pubs, restaurants and the like. Background television noise, and hearing against the engine and traffic noise in cars are also good examples and of course children are difficult because they have high pitched voices and don’t enunciate clearly. Clarity of speech is dependent on the frequency of the sound. Sadly it is the higher pitches which are lost in the usual age-related deafness. If the hearing loss is severe it may be that certain frequencies are altogether inaudible and cannot be heard no matter how loud it is amplified.
Hearing aids are designed individually to compensate for the particular loss in each person. The sound is boosted where the audiogram suggests the need. Boosting the sound beyond a certain level may not help. This should be born in mind when considering the purchase of an expensive device. They should be tried out before accepting the purchase. In general speech the vowels are easier to hear. A E I O and U. It is the consonants which pose the problems, especially Ps and Bs and Vs. Nor is lip reading to distinguish between P and B easy!
Types of listening devices
1) A simple microphone at the sound source which connects to you by means of a wire. Those who don’t wear a hearing aid can use a stethoset . This is worn like a light plastic stethoscope. Hearing aid users can also use a telecoil loop. This is worn around the neck (the hearing aid will need the T-coil setting). This is the least expensive method, but wires can be a nuisance and some people prefer a radio (wireless) link.
2) The microphone which picks up the sound connects to you wirelessly. One wears a receiver which attaches to one’s clothing. This connects to the ear either by stethoset (non-hearing aid users) or telecoil loop around the neck(T-coil setting needed on the hearing aid).
3) A microphone as in (2) above which connects wirelessly direct to the hearing aid without the need of a separate receiver. The receiver is in the form of a small shoe which fits onto the bottom of thehearing aid. This is known as an ear level receiver. This shoe has to be purchased at the same time and needs setting up by an audiologist. This method is a little more expensive but is certainly convenient.
4) There are other methods of transfer of sound from the source to you. These are good in particular circumstances. I do not intend to give further details about them. Bluetooth is one of these. Some listeners are Bluetooth compatible. This is certainly something which could be explored at the point of purchase.
Beyond the hearing aid help is needed in social gatherings, coffee mornings, meetings, lectures hearing the television and when travelling in the car. Listening devices are there to help in a variety of situations, but which of the listening devices is best ? We are spoilt for choice. There are numerous devices and gadgets on the market. They all have both good points and weaknesses. The weaknesses are not spelt out in the catalogue and at the same time the benefits are, in general, overstated. For this reason this website is designed to assist those who are thinking of buying one. This website is not sponsored in any way. The advice given is impartial. The opinions are mine. I am moderately severely hard of hearing. I have no hearing in my left ear –therefore an aid in that ear is of no use. My right ear needs a lot of help from the aid. I have a NHS (BTE) Siemens aid. I struggle to hear in company and in social situations. Bear this in mind at all times when you read what I have written.
The golden rules of buying a listening device
1) Keep it simple. Don’t buy something which is overcomplicated to use. Be sure you understand the controls and have the dexterity to use them.
2) Identify the situations when hearing loss is a nuisance. Should one single occasion (say watching the television) be the problem then there is no advantage in spending money on a more sophisticated listener when there is a simpler solution for that particular purpose.
3) Know that the makers’ advice about the listeners is exaggerated. In particular the ability to cut down background noise is only a slight help. Some devices having a directional microphone. You should understand that this capability is helpful but is relatively weak.
4) Most important of all is the need not to accept the device until you have tried it out in the different listening situations. If it does not meet your expectations then the device should be returned. I advise the postal wrappings are kept so that it can easily be repacked and posted.
A word of caution
One is trying to achieve improving the clarity of speech in differing situations. It is clarity rather than sound volume that is the limiting factor. Often there is background noise – pubs, restaurants and the like. Background television noise, and hearing against the engine and traffic noise in cars are also good examples and of course children are difficult because they have high pitched voices and don’t enunciate clearly. Clarity of speech is dependent on the frequency of the sound. Sadly it is the higher pitches which are lost in the usual age-related deafness. If the hearing loss is severe it may be that certain frequencies are altogether inaudible and cannot be heard no matter how loud it is amplified.
Hearing aids are designed individually to compensate for the particular loss in each person. The sound is boosted where the audiogram suggests the need. Boosting the sound beyond a certain level may not help. This should be born in mind when considering the purchase of an expensive device. They should be tried out before accepting the purchase. In general speech the vowels are easier to hear. A E I O and U. It is the consonants which pose the problems, especially Ps and Bs and Vs. Nor is lip reading to distinguish between P and B easy!
Types of listening devices
1) A simple microphone at the sound source which connects to you by means of a wire. Those who don’t wear a hearing aid can use a stethoset . This is worn like a light plastic stethoscope. Hearing aid users can also use a telecoil loop. This is worn around the neck (the hearing aid will need the T-coil setting). This is the least expensive method, but wires can be a nuisance and some people prefer a radio (wireless) link.
2) The microphone which picks up the sound connects to you wirelessly. One wears a receiver which attaches to one’s clothing. This connects to the ear either by stethoset (non-hearing aid users) or telecoil loop around the neck(T-coil setting needed on the hearing aid).
3) A microphone as in (2) above which connects wirelessly direct to the hearing aid without the need of a separate receiver. The receiver is in the form of a small shoe which fits onto the bottom of thehearing aid. This is known as an ear level receiver. This shoe has to be purchased at the same time and needs setting up by an audiologist. This method is a little more expensive but is certainly convenient.
4) There are other methods of transfer of sound from the source to you. These are good in particular circumstances. I do not intend to give further details about them. Bluetooth is one of these. Some listeners are Bluetooth compatible. This is certainly something which could be explored at the point of purchase.
Friday 9 March 2012
This blog seems to be getting some good attention. In view of this I have been considering if allowing some linkages on the site would be acceptable. These would be obviously targetted to the content but it would not alter the basic principle that the content is not sponsored in any way. The opinions expressed are not influenced by any commercial interest. This policy I will adhere to very strictly. I will keep testing equipment, borrowed from the makers, on the understanding that my opinion expressed subsequently in the report, checked for factual errors, would be my own.
I keep a keen eye out for new developments in listening devices. My particular interest is those which can be used in a variety of settings. Hearing in individual situations is usually resolved with the use of gadjets designed for that one particular purpose. These are less costly. The listeners described are adaptable to a variety of listening situations. They are relatively sophisticated, quite expensive, and often need some manipulative skills and some dexterity. If you think they may be for you read on:
I keep a keen eye out for new developments in listening devices. My particular interest is those which can be used in a variety of settings. Hearing in individual situations is usually resolved with the use of gadjets designed for that one particular purpose. These are less costly. The listeners described are adaptable to a variety of listening situations. They are relatively sophisticated, quite expensive, and often need some manipulative skills and some dexterity. If you think they may be for you read on:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
